Shloka 7

Matsya Purana — Ila–Sudyumna Episode and the Expansion of the Ikṣvāku

Devanagari script

अयमश्वो ऽपि नारीत्वम् अगाद्राज्ञा सहैव तु पुनः पुरुषतामेति यथासौ धनदोपमः //

Transliteration

ayamaśvo 'pi nārītvam agādrājñā sahaiva tu punaḥ puruṣatāmeti yathāsau dhanadopamaḥ //

Translation

This horse, too, entered womanhood together with the king; then it returned again to manhood—just as that one, comparable to Kubera, the Lord of Wealth, did.

Word by Word

• ayam: this

• aśvaḥ: horse

• api: also/even

• nārītvam: the state of being a woman, womanhood

• agāt: went/entered

• rājñā saha eva tu: along with the king indeed

• punaḥ: again

• puruṣatām: the state of being a man, manhood

• eti: attains/returns to

• yathā: just as

• asau: that one/he

• dhanada-upamaḥ: comparable to Dhanada (Kubera), like the giver/lord of wealth

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the episode in the Matsya Purāṇa

Entities Mentioned

• Rājā (the king)
• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Aśva (the horse)

Tags

• Transformation
• Royal narrative
• Puranic wonder-tale
• Identity change
• Matsya Purana episode

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmic dissolution; it belongs to a narrative episode focused on extraordinary transformation and restoration of form.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

Indirectly, it frames kingship within Purāṇic ethics where a ruler’s conduct can lead to unusual consequences (curse/boon motifs) and where restoration to rightful order (returning to one’s proper state) is emphasized.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, iconography, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is purely narrative, describing a change of bodily state and a return to manhood.